RomanPunks is a retrofuturistic, cyberpunk derivative world-building project inspired by fine art, history and the cryptopunk movement.
A total of 1,000 RomanPunk characters have been frozen in time and minted as Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum, WAX, Polygon and Algorand blockchains.
RomanPunk characters are comprised of commoners and famous individuals based on Roman history, art history and pop culture.
The basis for RomanPunk lore and backstories is exhaustively researched by history/sci-fi buff and co-founder, Punktavian.
All images are drawn by hand by woman artist and co-founder, Cleopunktra, without the aid of AI or generative tools.
RomanPunks came into existence through early minting on OpenSea, promoting on Twitter and building a Discord community through giveaways and engagement. The idea of a cyberpunk-derivative ‘RomanPunk’ theme was in our heads for years, but it was the success of the Cryptopunks that became the catalyst for project conception and launch.
After a hard working first 60 days spent networking and attracting new collectors to RomanPunks, our community had begun to flourish and sales increased. We began to offer our collectors an opportunity to battle their NFTs in a tournament bracket powered by dice rolls.
Encouraged by the tight knit community and the carbon-neutral blockchain with lightning fast and low cost transactions, we launched 'romanpunksio' collection on WAX Blockchain as the first step to expand the backstories of our RomanPunk characters and the baseline for future development of a card game.
RomanPunks integrated with Chainlink Labs to utilize VRF (Verified Randomness Function) to host a giveaway raffle for our holders. We developed a smart contract on Ethereum which guarantees true random number selection on chain and can be used for a wide range of functions that require random selection.
After much anticipation in the community, we released our first WAX NFT card 'pack' through the Neftyblocks platform, which sold out in less than a week.
We launched our Twitch channel and begun building an audience by offering numerous giveaways of WAX NFTs from our collection, as well as giving participants a chance to win RomanPunk ETH NFT airdrops for taking top spot at the end of the 'season'.
As firm believers in a metaverse future and land owners in The Sandbox, we undertook to build the RomanPunk Colosseum on 1x1 land and entered our experience "Gladiator Bloodsport" into a GameJam contest. We will continue to build the Colosseum into a PVP arena and social hub once The Sandbox offers creators the ability to do so.
Thanks to the user friendly tools offered by NeftyBlocks, we launched a comprehensive blending system on WAX, allowing our collectors to blend the common NFTs they earn in our Discord RPG up into Legendary famous NFTs through the use of blending 'coins' that can also be earned on the Discord as reward for helping to promote the RomanPunks project.
We launched the VX collection on Polygon. Each owner of an ETH NFT gets their voxel equivalent airdropped to them, and these NFTs can be redeemed for official NFTs on The Sandbox Marketplace once available.
All 1,000 original, unique 1:1 RomanPunk characters hand drawn by Cleopunktra and minted on OpenSea.
The RomanPunk WAX NFT Trading Card Fighter Pack Series II consists of 3 NFTs randomly selected from over 236 characters.
Upcoming plans for RomanPunks include:
Below is a comprehensive and searchable directory of all 1,000 RomanPunk Characters.
Born in 105 AD in Rome, Damianus Sanga is second in command of the Lost Cohort, which disappeared on campaign in Caledonia. Sanga and his comrades were whisked to an alternate dimension where they were equipped with hi-tech weapons and armor by sympathetic local tribes seeking new allies.
Born 200 BC in Xanthos, Matilda was chief librarian of the legendary Library of Lycia until cyborg and alien invaders annexed her homeland during the heyday of the Roman Republic. To escape enslavement, she conjured an interdimensional portal from ancient Sumerian texts, leaving to establish a rare used book store in 1980s AD Manhattan.
Born in 185 AD in Fife, Osgar was raised to hate the Romans and fought stubbornly against the invasion of Septimius Severus in 208 AD, using future technology obtained from dimension hopping druids to help push the invaders back to Hadrian’s Wall.
Born 355 BC in Valentia, Elix is a mysterious, itinerant clairvoyant who is known for her ability to predict the future and communicate with alternate dimensions so accurately that she constantly must stay on the move to escape time traveling cyborg witch hunters.
Born 1 AD in Rome, Larry is a crypt keeper who sometimes takes a little extra liking to a corpse.
Born 83 BC in Rome, Marco was once a celebrated general and senator, renowned for his cunning and valor. His life took a fateful turn in Tarsus, where an interdimensional portal whisked him into an alternate universe, strikingly similar to his own. Yet, the transition bore an unforeseen glitch, rendering him completely invisible. Embracing his new form, Marco now clandestinely aids his counterpart, wielding his unseen presence as a tool to spy on foes and secure treasures, all while navigating the challenges of a world where he is forever unseen, but profoundly felt.
Born 418 AD in Tolosa, Gaatha was a footsoldier who fought with King Theodoric I against Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. She introduced advanced technology obtained from an interdimensional portal in Aurelianum to turn the tide of battle.
Born blind in 81 AD in Lutetia, Jill was sent through an interdimensional portal by her wealthy parents to have her vision restored. Now with the help of a cybervisor and her trusty labrador retriever, Caesar, she operates a dog sitting and grooming business in the 22nd century AD Neo-Carthage.
Born 470 AD in Augusta Suessionum, Nebia served as a handmaid to Queen Clotilde before her life took a dramatic turn. Encountered by a stranger from another dimension, she was awakened to her telekinetic powers and recruited for a war against alien cyborg overlords. Now, from behind a terminal screen in the dimly lit chambers of a futuristic cave stronghold, she manipulates the simulacrum of her past existence.
Born 114 BC in Yeha, Betty joined Spartacus in the Third Servile War in search of her younger brother, Mussa. Upon defeat by the Romans, rather than face crucifixion, Betty was sent by Crassus to fight as a gladiator in a futuristic cybercolosseum.
Born in 119 BC in Coracesium, Cyd was an infamous pirate king who wreaked havoc on Roman shipping until he was captured by Pompey and sentenced to fight in the gladiator pits of Rome.
Born 191 BC in Scodra, Kthjellime was a concubine of the defeated king Gentius who disguised herself as a guard captain to avoid capture by the Romans.
Born 405 AD in Pelso, Tina was the illegitimate daughter of Godigisel and a servant woman. Interdimensional traveler and half sister to King Genseric, she led Vandal troops razing cities across Spain, Africa and Italy, culminating in the great Sack of Rome in 455 AD.
Bruno and his brother Bostar, bastard sons of Hasdrubal Barca, were exiled to fight in the gladiator pits of Parthia. They were saved by brother Hannibal, who traveled through an interdimensional portal to rescue them from eternal servitude.
Born 103 BC in Dyrrhachium, Jerome was a slave who joined forces with Spartacus during the Third Servile War, but fled through an interdimensional portal to the late 20th century AD to avoid their inevitable capture and crucifixion.
